Is It Really That Difficult?

 In so many instances our Lord approaches His Apostles with the message of His impending Passion, death and Resurrection.

But they never seem to get it!

In the Gospel of St. Mark, Chapter 9 we encounter Jesus on Mount Tabor, showing His glory to Peter, James and John as far as they could bear it.  Within that passage, St. Mark records, Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  St. Mark then continues to tell us, So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

After they met the other nine at the foot of the mountain (last week’s Gospel), and after the Lord heals the son of the man of too little faith, Jesus now teaches the whole ensemble of Apostles about that which is coming.

The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.

And again, St. Mark records, But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

In today’s Gospel (Mark 10:32-45), Jesus gets much more direct with His message, providing yet more detail.

We are taught, They were on the road to Jerusalem, and, Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  You see, at least some of them understood the danger that lay ahead in Jerusalem.  In John 11:8 we find The disciples said to Him, ‘Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are you going there again?’

It is into this tense environment that we find here in today’s Gospel Jesus speaking plainly.

We go to Jerusalem.  The Son of Man will be betrayed (one of you will turn on Me!) to the chief priests and scribes.  They will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles.  They will mock Him, scourge Him, spit upon Him, and kill Him.  And on the third day He will rise again.

Hear the detail in our Lord’s words to His Apostles!  He describes exactly what is about to transpire in just a few days.

And what is the response of those closest to Him to this devastating news?

Lord, grant us a place next to You in Heaven.

It’s yet another study in human nature.  These men have traveled with Jesus for three years.  They have been witnesses to countless healings, deliverance from demons, raisings from the dead.  In every instance when Jesus healed, He did so selflessly.  He routinely instructed those blessed with His intervention to tell no one.  Yet these same Apostles don’t seem to even hear His words about what is to happen next—even as the aforementioned Gospel of St. John reveals that they did have a rudimentary understanding.

Still being the Loving Lord that He is, He speaks gently to them.  Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  The Lord never says that which He does not back up with action, and He proves this saying when He girds Himself with a towel and washes the feet of His Apostles before the Last Supper (John 13:1-17).

We are not unlike these same Apostles.  We too don’t understand what God has exposed in simplicity.  He should say to us as well, Seeing you do not see, and hearing you do not understand.  In this passage from St. John, Jesus says plainly the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Lord, open our hearts to receive Your words.  Help us to hear your loving voice guiding us toward that place where we may be forever near to You.